South Texas Family Planning brought its mobile unit to Taft Monday, offering free medical services to people who may have trouble accessing or affording care.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Free medical care came directly to Taft residents on Monday as South Texas Family Planning brought its mobile unit to the community to help people who may otherwise have difficulty seeing a doctor.
The organization partnered with the City of Taft to provide free medical services, with walk-ins accepted and no appointments required.
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Sarah Villarreal, clinic manager with South Texas Family Planning, said access to primary and women’s health care can be limited in smaller communities.
“This area doesn’t really offer a lot of providers for people to seek primary health care or women’s health primarily,” Villarreal said.
Villarreal said barriers such as a lack of insurance, the cost of medication, transportation and long waits for appointments can cause people to put off medical care. She said the mobile clinic can provide services, including blood work, and help patients get medications when needed. The goal is also to identify health problems that may otherwise go undiagnosed.
“People can go undiagnosed for many years and not take care of themselves,” Villarreal said. “With us being here today, it allows us to help them.”
Villarreal pointed to one woman involved with Monday’s event who was diagnosed with breast cancer after receiving help through the organization and is now undergoing chemotherapy.
South Texas Family Planning takes its services beyond Taft. Villarreal said the organization serves communities across 29 counties, including areas where residents may have limited access to doctors or struggle to afford medical care and prescriptions.
She said bringing the mobile unit directly into communities also eliminates the need for patients to travel elsewhere for some services.
“We’ve had people cry because they’ve never had access to care,” Villarreal said. “We want to make it easy for them.” Villarreal said everyone who received care at Monday’s Taft event was able to walk in without an appointment.